Eels bring Steve Perry surprise to L.A. show

Former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, seen here last September at a City of Hope benefit in Playa Vista, turned up Wednesday night during Eels' third encore at the Orpheum Theatre. FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

It’s a stretch to imagine that cult group Eels would have become a newsmaking band on their current theater tour. Though the somewhat sad-sack outfit has consistently put out records showcasing the stellar songwriting skills of bandleader Mark Oliver Everett (stage name: E) since “Novocaine for the Soul” was a KROQ breakthrough in the mid-’90s, they’re much more a quiet fringe force than a pop culture storm.

That changed a few weeks ago, however, when famously reclusive singer Steve Perry – former frontman for arena mainstay Journey and one of the best voices in rock history – sang with Eels in St. Paul, joining the band for a personal favorite of his (a forlorn piece with an unprintable title) before knocking out classic tracks “Open Arms” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’.” It comprised Perry’s first public performance in nearly two decades, and it seemed like a one-off – until he returned to the stage with the band in Washington, D.C., just a few days later to do it all again.

Suddenly, Wednesday night’s booking of this usually club-level band at the larger Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles made some sense.

Their latest somber record, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett, is typically strong, heartfelt and moving, but it isn’t exactly full of hits. Even the promise of another appearance from Perry added a kind of Bigfoot-sighting level of excitement, and E’s announcement on KCRW earlier in the day that the Journey singer would turn up at the show meant the band’s main set – full of new songs self-deprecatingly undersold at every turn, as well as fan favorites like “My Beloved Monster,” “I Lke Birds” and “Fresh Feeling” – felt like a warm-up rather than the main event.

When Perry finally emerged from the wings, after an extended encore featuring covers of the Elvis Presley staple “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” and Nilsson’s “Turn on Your Radio,” as well as a carefully arpeggiated run through “Last Stop: This Town,” the 65-year-old star didn’t disappoint, applying his full vibrato-filled wail with the kind of impassioned training that went out of style, well, 20 years ago.

His wide-eyed, unabashed love of being back on stage (and eloquently singing E’s profane title) was enough to make the crowd giggle at times, but there was no question he’s still got it. Looking svelte in an all-black suit and shirt, Perry couldn’t stop grinning throughout his mini-set, which included both of the previously performed Journey tunes (with a verse of Sam Cooke’s “Only Sixteen” as intro to “Open Arms”) as well as his first performance of “Lights” in two decades. (That was preceded by a recollection of the tune having been started in L.A. before getting finished once he was asked to join the Bay Area band that made it famous.)

Sure, the songs were transposed down a step or so to allow Perry to reach their highest notes, but who cares? His voice still comfortably powered through those upper regions; there’s still no contemporary in rock on his level.

Toward the end of his time, Perry suggested this wasn’t the last we’d hear from him. (I’m paraphrasing, but it was along the lines of “I’m winded ... but that’ll change as I do this more.”) How about a full tour with Eels as the opener and backing band? For fans who never stopped believing, it’s looking like someday that could actually happen.

Former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, seen here last September at a City of Hope benefit in Playa Vista, turned up Wednesday night during Eels' third encore at the Orpheum Theatre. FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, seen here last September at a City of Hope benefit in Playa Vista, turned up Wednesday night during Eels' third encore at the Orpheum Theatre. FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGESFormer Journey vocalist Steve Perry, seen here in March at a movie premiere in L.A., turned up Wednesday night during Eels’ third encore at the Orpheum Theatre.
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FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Former Journey vocalist Steve Perry, seen here in March at a movie premiere in L.A., turned up Wednesday night during Eels' third encore at the Orpheum Theatre. FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, performing with Eels in 2011. In addition to their third-encore spotlight on Steve Perry, the band's Orpheum Theatre was a 20-plus song survey of Everett's deep catalog. FILE PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

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